TEA PARTY PATRIOTS:
Tea Party’s Jenny Beth Martin Sizes Up Fiorina, Carson, Huckabee
“With three new entrants into the Republican presidential field this week, Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin gave her thoughts to Newsmax TV on Monday about how each would fare with the tea party wing. “Any of them are going to be better than what we will get with Hillary Clinton,” Martin said on “Newsmax Prime.” “She is from the past, and it’s time for someone who’s going to be looking towards the future.” If former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina wins the nomination, it will allow for a focus on economic issues, which are important to the tea party, Martin told host J.D. Hayworth. Americans must elect candidates willing to do what it takes to balance the federal budget and begin paying down the debt, she said. “Fiorina will work on this,” Martin told Newsmax TV…”
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/Jenny-Beth-Martin-Tea-Party-Patriots-presidential-bids/2015/05/04/id/642550/
HEALTHCARE:
States wasting millions by keeping ineligible recipients on ObamaCare’s Medicaid rolls, critics say
“States are wasting millions of taxpayer dollars under ObamaCare’s massive Medicaid expansion by failing to regularly check the eligibility of program recipients, critics charge. Under the Affordable Care Act, millions of people were enrolled in the expanded Medicaid, a jointly run state and federal program that primarily provides free or low-cost health care to low-income people, the elderly and disabled. Federal law requires that states annually verify the eligibility of recipients — but some are not, and that means tens of thousands of ineligible people are receiving benefits. Arkansas, for instance, has failed to comply with the law, and internal emails from the Arkansas Department of Human Services reveal officials have yet to begin what’s known as a “redetermination.” “We’re trying to hold the DHS accountable for the promises they made, and make sure that the people who are on the program actually qualify for it,” said state Sen. Bryan King. According to emails between King and Arkansas DHS Director John Selig, the state applied for and was issued two waivers from the federal government granting extensions for their “redetermination” deadline. But the delay is costing taxpayers money. Selig estimated in a report to a Joint Budget Committee that an eligibility review could remove up to 40,000 people from the state’s Medicaid system — saving taxpayers up to $20 million a month. “The fact that they aren’t doing this already in a program riddled with cost overruns shows their lack of regard for taxpayer dollars funded by hardworking Americans,” said Charles Siler, director of media relations for the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA). A similar situation — stemming from problems launching ObamaCare websites — exists in Massachusetts, Siler said, but fiscal watchdogs also blame the federal government for allowing states to miss their deadlines. “What Arkansas and Massachusetts tell us is that the Obama administration doesn’t care about being responsible with the billions of taxpayer dollars being wasted by ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion,” FGA senior fellow Josh Archambault said. “In truth, we have yet to uncover how many other states the feds are allowing to sidestep the law, and these states may simply be the tip of the iceberg.” In Arkansas, the first DHS waiver extended the review deadline to March, from Dec. 31, 2014, but Selig testified as late as April 20 that his department had been issued another waiver pushing the deadline to September…”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/05/states-wasting-millions-by-getting-sloppy-on-obamacares-medicaid-rolls-critics/
Obamacare’s ‘risk’ program may shake up insurance prices
“When this Obamacare bill comes due, will there be nearly enough money to pay it? An important tool meant to limit the financial risk of Obamacare insurers is expected to be grossly underfunded and “may make the U.S. insurance market less stable, not more,” a new analysis warns. The amount of money that profitable insurers expect to pay into the program was less than an estimated 10 percent what is expected to be paid out to unprofitable insurers, the Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services report found. The analysis assumes Congress will continue mandating that the program must be self-sustaining from insurers’ payments, and not tap government funds. As a result, some insurers may have a tougher time covering their costs—and Obamacare customers in some areas of the country may face higher premium prices in 2016…”
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102646422
Because Of Obamacare, 123-Year-Old Major Health Insurance Provider Set To Close Its Doors
“After expanding to accommodate the requirements of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) last year, a Wisconsin-based health insurance provider, founded in 1892, announced it will be closing its doors. Assurant Health opted not to participate in the first Obamacare enrollment period in 2013; however, in November of that year, the company announced it would be selling plans in 16 states in 2014. The company and industry watchers blamed its losses directly on the impact of Obamacare. Following implementation of the requirements to participate in the ACA exchanges, Assurant lost $63.7 million in 2014. The insurer raised its rates by 20 percent in 2015, in hopes of returning to profitability, but lost between $80 to $90 million during the first quarter of this year. Assurant currently provides plans for approximately 1 million people, with a revenue of about $2 billion. “In a letter to its shareholders, [the company] said it lost money because of a reduction in recoveries under Obamacare’s risk mitigation programs and increased claims on the health care law’s 2015 policies,” the Daily Signal reports…”
http://www.westernjournalism.com/because-of-obamacare-123-year-old-major-health-insurance-provider-set-to-close-its-doors/
Dems call for crackdown on insurers over birth control mandate
“Senate Democrats are urging the Department of Health and Human Services to take action against health insurance companies that are ignoring an ObamaCare provision that guarantees free or low-cost birth control, which they call a “troubling nationwide trend.” A group of 38 Democrats sent a letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell on Tuesday raising alarms that some insurance companies and pharmacies are making it difficult for women to access contraception. “We write with serious concerns that some insurers are failing to uphold the standards set in the Affordable Care Act and as a result leaving women without the health care services they are entitled to under the law,” the letter reads. The senators urge Burwell to better inform insurance companies about the birth control rule and to push states to develop their own “plans of action for compliance.” “The Department of Health and Human Services should be closely monitoring and ensuring compliance with the law, and working with all stakeholders to reach that end,” they wrote…”
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/241086-senate-dems-condemn-violations-of-obamacare-birth-control-rule
U.S. SC vacates another ruling over Obamacare’s contraception mandate
“The U.S. Supreme Court last week returned another federal appeals court’s decision backing the contraception requirement of President Barack Obama’s federal health care law. It is the second time in recent months the nation’s high court has thrown out a lower court’s decision on the matter.”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/u.s.-sc-vacates-another-ruling-over-obamacares-contraception-mandate/article/feed/2176057?custom_click=rss
New ban on abortion coverage easily clears Texas Senate
“Most abortions in Texas could not be covered by insurance purchased through the Affordable Care Act under a bill that has cleared the Republican-controlled Senate. The bill passed Tuesday is the first abortion law to clear the Senate since Wendy Davis temporarily sidetracked sweeping restrictions with a nearly 13-hour filibuster in 2013. The Senate this time was a far different scene. The gallery was mostly empty and the bill quickly passed along party lines after Democrats raised only brief objections. About two dozen states already prohibit abortion coverage under plans purchased through the federal marketplace. Republicans say it prevents other insured Texans from paying for a procedure they believe is morally wrong. Unlike two years ago, abortion has been a relatively quiet issue in Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s first session….”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/new-ban-on-abortion-coverage-easily-clears-texas-s/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
500 groups urge repeal of ObamaCare cost-cutting panel
“Over 500 organizations are calling on Congress to repeal a Medicare cost-cutting board that is part of ObamaCare. At issue is the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), charged with coming up with ways to cut Medicare spending if it rises above a certain threshold. The board has not been set up yet, and has faced strong opposition from Republicans who say it would diminish seniors’ access to care. Opponents of the healthcare law condemned the IPAB as a “death panel” during the congressional debate over the law. The 500 groups (which include multiple chapters of the same organization), are largely healthcare providers, and are worried about cuts in payments under the board. The letter to Congress argues that because the board must achieve savings in a one-year timeframe, it will simply cut payments to providers rather than make long-term improvements to the programs efficiency…”
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/241042-500-groups-urge-repeal-of-obamacare-cost-cutting-panel
The Medicare Recovery Audit Program Works For Taxpayers
“Among the vast multitude of federal government programs, a rare few have as their mission the protection of the general taxpayer interest. Those that do are typically beset by special interests and the beneficiaries of government largess. An example is the Recovery Audit Program, which identifies and recovers improper Medicare payments, but is now under siege from the hospital industry. The Recovery Audit Program has proven valuable in its few years of operation. Since its implementation in 2010, the program has returned over $9.7 billion to the Medicare Trust Fund, and led to a reduction in improper payments from 10.8 percent in fiscal year 2009 to 8.5 percent in 2012. In 2013 alone it recovered $3 billion. Unfortunately, after the program was hamstrung and certain audits suspended in October 2013, improper payments returned to 12.7 percent by fiscal year 2014. The program works by contracting with companies that are paid to find waste and abuse in Medicare payments. Contractors employ medical professionals to review claims and ensure they are billed according to Medicare policy, and can collect up to 12.5 percent of the monies recovered. This provides a strong incentive to advance the taxpayer interest and find improper payments. Given its success to date the program ought to be expanded if anything, but it has been the target of constant attacks from the hospital industry. Given that most improper payments are recovered directly from the providers that received them, it’s no surprise that they spent $20 million lobbying Congress in 2014 alone in an aggressive effort to tame the program…”
http://dailycaller.com/2015/05/05/the-medicare-recovery-audit-program-works-for-taxpayers/
Senators demand better oversight of state ObamaCare spending
“Two Republican committee chairmen are pressing the Obama administration to improve its oversight of how state-run ObamaCare marketplaces use federal dollars, citing an inspector general report on potential violations of law. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote to the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Monday asking for the agency to issue clarifying guidance on how the federal dollars can be spent. State-run ObamaCare marketplaces received federal funds to help set themselves up, but after Jan. 1 of this year, they marketplaces are supposed to be self-sustaining. They are now prohibited by law from using federal funds for “operating expenses.” They can only use the money for “design, development, and implementation.” The problem is that the definition of these two categories can be unclear, as noted by an HHS Inspector General report late last month. The senators want clearer definitions from CMS. State-based marketplaces (SBMs) “cannot be allowed to use hard-earned taxpayer dollars for expenses that are statutorily prohibited,” the senators write…”
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/240997-senators-press-for-better-oversight-of-state-obamacare-spending
Ohio Gov. John Kasich helps Montana expand Obamacare
“Obamacare supporters were frustrated in their efforts to expand Medicaid in Montana until Ohio Gov. John Kasich came to town. “Kasich contributed, I think in a meaningful way, to passing Medicaid expansion in Montana,” Republican State Sen. Scott Sales told Watchdog.org. During a January trip to Helena, Kasich accused Obamacare expansion foes of “turning down your money back to Montana on an ideological basis when people can lose their lives.” “It’s about bringing our tax dollars home,” Democrat Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said, borrowing a line from Kasich when an Obamacare expansion bill — sponsored by Republican State Sen. Ed Buttrey — was introduced in March. Bullock signed Buttrey’s Obamacare expansion bill last week, after Montana’s House and Senate approved it. For two years before Kasich’s visit, Republican majorities in both houses of the Montana State Legislature kept Bullock from implementing Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. An attack on the expansion’s critics from Kasich, a Republican, helped change that….”
http://watchdog.org/215057/kasich-montana-obamacare/
Florida governor plans DC trip to settle ObamaCare funding fight
“Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced Tuesday he is headed to Washington, D.C., to make another plea for the federal grant money that he believes his state was denied because he chose not to expand Medicaid under ObamaCare. Scott plans to meet with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell on Wednesday to press his case for the $1 billion in federal funding to support Florida hospitals that remain at stake. “We hope HHS will reconsider LIP funding in Florida,” he wrote in a statement. “It’s critical for us to get that information immediately so the Legislature can construct a budget that best meets the needs of low income families during a special session.” The governor will be paying a visit to the Obama administration one week after filing a lawsuit claiming the government’s funding denial was an effort to “coerce” Florida into expanding Medicaid. The governors of Texas and Kansas — also Republicans — filed amicus briefs in the case late Monday…”
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/241121-florida-governor-plans-dc-trip-to-settle-obamacare-funding-fight
Chautauqua Center receives $700,000 through Affordable Care Act
“The Chautauqua Center is one of six health centers in New York to receive new Affordable Care Act funding from the federal Health and Human Services Department. The center, at 319 Central Ave., will receive more than $700,000 to improve delivery of comprehensive primary health care services. It is estimated the new health centers in New York will increase services for nearly 50,233 patients. The funding is part of $101 million awarded nationally to 164 new health center sites in 33 states and two U.S. Territories. The health centers also help New Yorkers sign up for health insurance. Since 2013, health centers assisted more than 273,910 New Yorkers become insured…”
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/chautauqua-center-receives-700000-through-affordable-care-act-20150505
IMMIGRATION:
Agency gets $2.2 million for unaccompanied child immigrants
“The federal government is awarding $2.2 million to Lutheran Social Services of Michigan for programs to help immigrant children who are in the U.S. without their parents. Democratic. U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Southfield announced the grant Tuesday. She says the money from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will provide housing for “unaccompanied immigrant children.” Lawrence says that the Detroit-based agency is Michigan’s largest refugee resettlement agency and says it supports thousands of families from dozens of countries. Its programs include translation, legal representation, school programs and general child services…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/agency-gets-22-million-for-unaccompanied-child-imm/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Trade pact foes: Deal could cause flood of immigrants
GOP leaders and White House officials are working to douse the latest threat to the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“Opponents of giving the Obama administration broad authority to negotiate a trans-Pacific trade deal, including Republican senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, are pushing a new argument: It could trigger a flood of immigrants into the country.
Sessions’ argument – essentially, that the administration could use the authority to expand immigration – was dismissed as an “urban legend” by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, whose panel oversees trade. But with extremely close votes expected in both the House and possibly the Senate on whether to grant President Barack Obama increased powers in trade talks, leading Republicans and members of the administration are taking the threat seriously and working overtime to debunk it, knowing the potency of the immigration issue among Republican voters and elected officials…”
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/conservatives-trade-pact-could-cause-flood-of-immigrants-117620.html
Little GOP appetite for immigration fight on homeland bill
Last year’s bid to undo Obama’s immigration actions deemed a failure, time to move on to other priorities.
“Hill Republicans have all but surrendered the fight against President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration. A handful of GOP firebrands are still agitating to use Congress’ power of the purse to reverse Obama’s move to shield millions of immigrants here illegally from deportations. But top Republicans say they’re not about to go there again: They tried that earlier this year with the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill but were forced to capitulate on the eve of a department shutdown, having won no concessions on immigration. Better to let the issue play out in the courts, the GOP reasoning goes, especially since a judge has already halted the president’s November executive actions — at least for now.
“The avenue that we took last time was a losing battle, and we knew it was a losing battle going into it,” said Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), the man writing this year’s DHS funding bill. “There might be other things we can figure out. We’re putting our heads together on that — but it won’t be what we did last time because what we did last time won’t win.”…”
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/republicans-immigration-bill-homeland-security-117621.html
Dreamers demand White House hopefuls end deportations, halt arrests
“Any presidential candidate who wants to win Hispanic votes next year will need to pledge to take unilateral action to halt deportations, to break the links that allow local police to help enforce immigration laws and to stop prosecuting rank-and-file illegal immigrants at the border, a group of Dreamers said in a new policy paper Tuesday. The Dream Action Coalition — activist young adult illegal immigrants who are in the country under color of President Obama’s 2012 deportation amnesty — issued an open letter to the presidential candidates saying Congress is unlikely to break its gridlock, so they are looking to the next White House occupant to continue the unilateral path President Obama laid out. “While Congress is still re-learning to tie its shoes, the country needs an executive who will protect our families, that our broken immigration system, and equally broken Congress, have failed,” the coalition said. That means expanding Mr. Obama’s policies to include more illegal immigrants, and offering those who have already been approved for the tentative deportation amnesty a chance to join the U.S. military. Along with the open letter, the coalition issued a policy paper laying out changes in both interior and border enforcement. The Dreamers said agent brutality is a growing problem, comparing it to recent high-profile police shootings. And the activists said the government’s policies are too geared toward arresting, detaining and prosecuting rank-and-file illegal immigrants. The open letter came just hours before Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to speak on immigration in Las Vegas. Mrs. Clinton is expected to call for Congress to approve a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, but the Dreamers insist she and other candidates must go further and vow to make use of presidential powers on their own…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/dreamers-to-white-house-hopefuls-end-deportations/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
States Respond to US Appeal in Immigration Lawsuit
“States fighting President Barack Obama’s plan to spare millions of immigrants from deportation say they agree with a Texas judge who has temporarily blocked the president’s action. Texas is leading a coalition of states that filed a lawsuit opposing Obama’s move that could spare as many as 5 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from deportation. In documents filed Monday with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the states reiterated their argument that Obama’s action would force local governments to invest more in law enforcement, health care and education. The appeals court is considering a request from the U.S. Department of Justice to reverse a Texas judge’s decision to put Obama’s plan on hold during the court fight. Oral arguments are scheduled for the week of July 6…”
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/states-respond-us-appeal-immigration-lawsuit-30822166
Obama uses Cinco de Mayo to push immigration reform
“President Obama used a Cinco de Mayo party on Tuesday to plug comprehensive immigration reform even though the issue appears all but dead in this Congress. Lawmakers have expressed little interest in tackling immigration reform this year, but Obama said “we’re not just going to stop now” in attempting to fix the nation’s immigration laws. “Congress still needs to step up and ultimately pass comprehensive immigration reform,” he told a group of Hispanic leaders and activists assembled at the White House. He said passing a bill is “the right thing to do.” The Senate approved a sweeping bill in 2013 that would have offered a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants while boosting border security. But the proposal never picked up traction in the House and Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) effort to convince Republicans to pass their own bill fell on deaf ears in 2014, a midterm election year. Obama issued a series of executive actions last fall that would have provided deportation relief and work permits to millions of immigrants living in the U.S. legally, including parents of U.S. citizens. The orders also expanded eligibility for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that Obama set up in 2012. The president’s newest programs, however, have been frozen by a lawsuit that is pending in federal court. Obama said the actions he took were “within my legal authority to make our immigration system fairer, smarter and more just.” The president tried to give the crowd encouragement despite the obstacles that have dogged his immigration agenda. “Progress is not always a straight line. Sometimes we have to take this turn or that turn,” he said. “The good news is the American people are with us.”…”
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/241141-obama-uses-cinco-de-mayo-to-push-immigration-reform
Obama: Progress on immigration ‘not always a straight line’
“President Barack Obama says that when it comes to achieving a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws progress is ‘not always a straight line.’ He says that despite his executive actions on immigration, Congress still needs to pass legislation to make more permanent changes. Obama reflected Tuesday during a large Cinco de Mayo gathering at the White House on the obstacles that have impeded his efforts to allow immigrants illegally in the United States to stay under certain conditions. Obama took action in November that could spare up more than 4 million immigrants from deportation. The effort has been held up by federal court order. He said: “Sometimes you have to take this turn and that turn, go over this mountain and that valley.”..”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/obama-progress-on-immigration-not-always-a-straigh/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
DOJ seeks long stay, putting child migrant rights on hold
“The Justice Department is asking a federal judge in Seattle to stay all further court action on the due process claims of child migrants while it appeals his decision last month to take up the question of whether juveniles have a right to counsel under the Constitution. Papers filed late last week spell out the government’s strategy. But immigrant rights attorneys said any such stay would be damaging to the children by needlessly prolonging the litigation for at least another year while more child migrants face the threat of deportation. At issue is an April 13 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Zilly, who at the time denied Justice’s demands that he dismiss all elements of a lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama’s decision last summer to rush thousands of children from Central America into deportation hearings without legal representation. While agreeing with Justice on some portions, Zilly said the right-to-counsel claim raised in the suit was too important to be put off. Since the suit is still pending, the government needs Zilly’s permission to appeal that piece up the ladder in the 9th Circuit. But it is Justice’s request for the stay pending that appeal which is more important at this stage going forward…”
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/justice-department-child-migrants-117654.html
Immigration battle moves to the military
“A battle is brewing in the Republican Party over whether illegal immigrants granted deferred deportation by President Obama should be eligible to serve in the military. Anti-immigration hard-liners and vulnerable Republicans who represent districts with large Hispanic populations are battling over provisions in the annual Defense authorization bill, which is set to come to the House floor next week. The fight underscores the GOP’s difficulty in wrestling with Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows qualified illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to obtain temporary work permits. GOP presidential candidates are split over the issue, with staunch conservatives such as Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) arguing it should be done away with. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) have criticized Obama’s executive actions but have also called for workers living in the U.S. illegally to be given a path to legal status. Obama’s 2012 actions have won some bipartisan support, while an expansion of the program announced after last year’s midterm elections has been more controversial. A federal appeals court is set to consider the legality of the 2014 actions. The defense bill is the latest unlikely battleground on immigration because of the House Armed Services Committee’s adoption of two Democratic amendments that edge toward allowing young illegal immigrants to serve in the military. One provision encourages the secretary of Defense to review allowing DACA recipients to serve in the armed forces; the other directs the Pentagon to evaluate how DACA recipients could expand the number of potential recruits and affect military readiness. The first amendment, offered by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), attracted the votes of six Republicans, including vulnerable Reps. Mike Coffman (Colo.) and Martha McSally (Ariz.). It narrowly passed on a vote of 33-30. Seven Republicans crossed the aisle to support the second amendment, sponsored by Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas). It was approved in a 34-29 committee vote. Coffman, a Marine Corps combat veteran who will be a top Democratic target in the next election cycle, argued that so-called “Dreamers” who grew up in the U.S. and are part of the American workforce should be given a chance to enlist. “I will fight to make sure our effort to encourage military service among Dreamers remains part of the NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act],” he said. “These kids grew up in this country, went to school here and often know of no other country. I want to give them the same opportunity I had to serve this country.” Immigration hard-liner Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) promised a “major fight” when the bill hits the floor next week. He suggested that anyone who supports the provisions is voting to “expand the president’s amnesty agenda.” “It is the wrong policy on the wrong bill at the worst time,” King said in a statement. “This will bring about a major fight among those of us who have given our oath to support and defend the Constitution and mean it, and those who simply gave their oath…”
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/241031-immigration-battle-moves-to-the-military
Senate OKs bill allowing teacher license for more immigrants
“A bill that would make it easier for immigrants with temporary legal status to get a Nevada teaching license has passed the Senate. Senators voted 19-0 on Wednesday to approve AB27, which already passed the Assembly. It’s expected to arrive at the governor’s desk soon. The bill affects immigrants including those who have work permits through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA recipients or DREAMers. Existing law allows the state superintendent to give a teaching license to someone who is not a citizen but has a work permit only if there’s a teacher shortage for a subject the person can teach. The bill would allow those immigrants to get a teaching license if a district has a teacher shortage of any kind…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/senate-oks-bill-allowing-teacher-license-for-more-/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Health care: Illegal immigrants would get Medi-Cal under California bill
“The backbreaking work in California’s chili pepper fields and cherry orchards wasn’t so noticeable when farmworker Antolin Gonzalez was young. But the 49-year-old south Santa Clara County farmworker now suffers from dizziness, allergies from dust and pesticides, swollen feet and throbbing backaches — even eyesight problems from prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light. Like many of the state’s 2.5 million illegal immigrants, Gonzalez does not have health insurance because he can’t afford it. If he gets sick, he seeks treatment at a public health clinic. Anything more serious means a trip to the hospital emergency room…”
http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_28042009/health-care-illegal-immigrants-would-get-medi-cal
Judge: Dreamers can get in-state tuition in Arizona
“Young immigrants granted deferred deportation status by the Obama administration are eligible for in-state college tuition, a Maricopa County judge ruled Tuesday. The decision from Superior Court Judge Arthur Anderson comes in a lawsuit filed by former Attorney General Tom Horne against the Maricopa County Community College District. Horne contended that so-called “dreamers” offered deferred action status were not legally present in the U.S and could not get state benefits because of a 2006 voter-enacted law known as Proposition 300. But Anderson’s ruling said Proposition 300 doesn’t bar public benefits for immigrants lawfully in the U.S., and the federal government considers deferred action recipients lawfully present. Thus, they can get lower in-state tuition, he ruled. “Federal law, not state law, determines who is lawfully present in the U.S.,” Anderson wrote. “The state cannot establish subcategories of ‘lawful presence,’ picking and choosing when it will consider DACA recipients lawfully present and when it will not.” President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program in 2012 for young people who had been brought to the United States illegally as children. The community college district began offering lower in-state tuition to DACA recipients shortly after Obama’s action, and Horne challenged it in court. A spokeswoman for current Attorney General Mark Brnovich and a spokesman for the college district were working to get comment on the ruling…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/judge-dreamers-can-get-in-state-tuition-in-arizona/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Missouri lawmakers OK limiting scholarships for immigrants
“A measure that would block immigrants who are illegally in the U.S. from receiving money under Missouri’s A+ scholarship program is headed to Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk. The Missouri House gave final approval Tuesday, 108-38, to the bill supporters say is meant to limit the number of people receiving scholarships in order to preserve them for Missouri residents. Democratic opponents and advocates for immigrants say it would cause financial hardship for hardworking students seeking to get a college education and contribute to society. Democratic Rep. Lauren Arthur, of Kansas City, says students brought to the U.S. as children should not be punished because legislators have created a funding problem for the scholarship program….”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/missouri-lawmakers-ok-limiting-scholarships-for-im/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
GOP chair touts Hispanic outreach in Colorado
“The chairman of the Republican National Committee came to Denver on Tuesday to tout Colorado as a model for how his party is reaching out to Hispanics and winning increasingly Hispanic districts without fully embracing an immigration overhaul. Reince Priebus addressed a lunch of his party’s Hispanic Advisory Council at a Denver restaurant, saying the GOP has changed from a party that used to address Hispanics only for a couple of months in election years. “One of the things we said we were going to do differently as a national party is we weren’t going to pack up after November,” Priebus told the group. “We’ve had some success in Colorado. We’ve shown that just by being in the community we can make a difference.” Joining Priebus was Rep. Mike Coffman, who easily won re-election in his 20 percent Hispanic district in November. Once a supporter of more hard-line immigration measures, Coffman has shifted to the center and learned Spanish. He and his challenger — an Anglo Democrat who is fluent in Spanish — held a Spanish-language debate in October. After that debate, Coffman said, Hispanic wait-staff approached him at hotels and say he had won their vote. “They saw that out of respect for the community that I had made the effort to reach out,” Coffman said. But Coffman never embraced a sweeping immigration bill that would eventually provide citizenship to many of the 11 million in the country illegally, a key goal of Hispanic activists and an issue that a Republican National Committee report singled out as imperative to appealing to the growing Hispanic electorate. Democrats on Tuesday tried to remind voters of that. “This is the same Republican Party that opposes increasing the minimum wage, opposes equal pay for equal work, and has for years blocked bipartisan immigration reform from seeing the floor of the House of Representatives,” Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Rick Palacio said in a statement. “The problem isn’t their messaging or outreach efforts, it’s the Republican Party platform and the issues they advocate.” Priebus said Republicans agree on the need for a widespread change to the nation’s immigration laws, but “the question is: ‘What does immigration reform mean to you?’ ” That question, he said, will be hashed out in the party’s presidential primary….”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/gop-chair-touts-hispanic-outreach-in-colorado/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Hillary Clinton rejects Bill’s immigration crackdown, vows lenient approach
“Bill Clinton was the strictest president in modern political times when it comes to immigration, signing bills cracking down on both legal and illegal immigrants — but it’s unlikely that record will infect his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has promised a more lenient approach as she makes a push for Hispanic voters in her presidential bid. The former first lady and secretary of state already earns relatively high ratings from Hispanics and is moving quickly to head off problems, with her team reaching out to Latino leaders to take the temperature of the community. On Tuesday Mrs. Clinton will be in Las Vegas to talk immigration with young voters her campaign says are “personally affected” by the issue — a signal, coming this early in the campaign, that she is determined to capitalize on an issue that could produce tremendous payoff in a general election matchup. “Things have gotten much better for Hispanics when Democrats have been in power and much worse when Republicans have been in power. Shaking that is going to be very hard for the GOP,” said Simon Rosenberg, founder of NDN, a think tank that focuses on immigration and demographics. Mrs. Clinton starts in a position of strength, having won about two-thirds of Hispanic voters in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, where she built one of the most sophisticated Latino outreach operations in political history. Early polling in the 2016 contest also holds good news for Mrs. Clinton, who matches well against Republicans, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — arguably the best positioned within the GOP. According to an ABC/Washington Post polling, Mrs. Clinton tops Mr. Bush by nearly a 3-1 margin. Still, immigrant rights activists say there are plenty of questions Mrs. Clinton must answer as well. Advocates were furious last year, during the surge of children and families from Central America who jumped the border, when Mrs. Clinton said they should be “sent back.”…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/4/hillary-clinton-rejects-bill-clinton-immigration-c/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Clinton to urge ‘full and equal path to citizenship’ for undocumented immigrants
“Hillary Rodham Clinton will say Tuesday that any overhaul of the immigration system must include a way for undocumented immigrants to gain full citizenship. “The standard for a true solution is nothing less than a full and equal path to citizenship,” Clinton’s campaign said in a preview of remarks she is expected to give during a visit to a largely Hispanic high school here. “She will say that we cannot settle for proposals that provide hard-working people with merely a second-class status,” the campaign said. The position draws a sharp distinction with most likely Republican contenders and puts Clinton on the left side of her own party. Her campaign did not spell out how Clinton would get to the goal of a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. Clinton’s reference to second-class status appears to be an effort to contrast herself most directly with former Florida governor Jeb Bush. The fluent Spanish speaker, whose wife is Mexican-born, supports “earned legal status” for undocumented immigrants, although he has suggested he might support some citizenship options. Clinton has focused on immigration and citizenship issues early in her three-week-old campaign, and with a frequency unusual for past Democratic candidates. Hispanics have voted largely Democratic for years, but concern that Clinton could be vulnerable to Bush among Hispanics may be part of the reason for the emphasis. She is making Nevada, where about one in four residents is Hispanic, her third campaign stop after Iowa and New Hampshire. The May 5 date — Cinco de Mayo – is not a coincidence. Like Iowa and New Hampshire, Nevada holds one of the early presidential selection contests. The Nevada primary in 2016 will pose the first test of Clinton’s strength among Hispanic voters and her ability to re-create the winning Obama coalition of young people and minorities…”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/05/05/clinton-urges-full-and-equal-path-to-citizenship-for-undocumented-immigrants/?wprss=rss_homepage
Echoes of an Obama third term: Hillary to call for citizenship path for all illegals
“Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton will call for a full path to citizenship for illegal immigrants at an event Tuesday in Nevada, as she goes all-in on the issue in pursuit of Hispanic votes. Mrs. Clinton is expected to say in her remarks that a “true solution” to the country’s immigration problems would include “nothing less than a full and equal path to citizenship,” according to a campaign advisory provided to Reuters. She will stress during a stop at a Las Vegas high school that any proposal that stops short of opening a route to citizenship is “merely a ‘second-class’ status,” said the advisory…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/hillary-clinton-path-citizenship-all-illegal-immig/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Hillary Clinton May Push Envelope on Immigration Reform
“She is the presumed favorite of Latino voters and, today in Las Vegas, Hillary Clinton is expected to double down on what is seen as a gateway issue for that voting bloc. A Clinton official has told ABC News she plans to focus on a path to citizenship as part of comprehensive immigration reform. At a campaign event today, her third since announcing she’s running for president, Clinton will make immigration reform a defining issue, according to a source — and on Cinco de Mayo, no less. Latino leaders consulting her campaign have told ABC News that Clinton is looking for a way to clearly contrast herself with Republican presidential candidates by embracing the full path to citizenship rather than proposing a second class of Americans who can work in the United States but not enjoy the protection of citizenship. “She will say that the standard for a true solution is nothing less than a full and equal path to citizenship,” the official said. “She will say that we cannot settle for proposals that provide hard-working people with merely a ‘second-class’ status.” Clinton will be speaking at Rancho High School in Las Vegas, where 70 percent of students are Hispanic. Last November, President Obama chose a Las Vegas high school to lay out his plans for immigration reform. Clinton is also expected to promise to extend the DREAMer program to undocumented parents of children born in the United States (as President Obama’s proposed DAPA program would do) and is being pushed to expand protections to parents of DREAMers. While Clinton has tweeted her support for President Obama’s expanded DACA And DAPA programs, activists want her to take it further. And while it’s expected she will outline her support for a comprehensive immigration reform plan, the question immigration groups want answered is whether, as president, she would support expanding presidential executive action if reform is held up in Congress….”
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hillary-clinton-push-envelope-immigration-reform/story?id=30812123
Hillary to call for “full and equal” path to citizenship for illegals today
“If she were anyone else, I’d assume it was just a coincidence that she’s rolling out her immigration platform on Cinco de Mayo. Hillary being Hillary, though, it’s got to be deliberate. It reeks of trying too hard to connect with people, just like her dopey “average Joe” van trip to Iowa. What better way to show Latinos she really cares than by waiting until a Mexican holiday to talk about amnesty? That … sort of makes sense, right? Kudos to CNN, incidentally, for reminding us that Hillary supported a “path to legalization” in 2008, the same position now adopted by every Republican presidential candidate but one which is far, far too moderate for the left following Obama’s landslide over Romney among Latinos three years ago. Just as she’s “evolved” on gay marriage and the need to “topple” the one percent, she’s now a true blue amnesty devotee. A number of Clinton’s campaign aides feel immigration will be a wedge issue in the 2016 general election and are encouraged by the fact that Clinton has performed better than most Democrats — including President Barack Obama in 2008 — with Hispanic voters. Clinton will say Tuesday “that we cannot settle for proposals that provide hard-working people with merely a second-class status,” the aide said, noting a subtle knock against Republican hopefuls — like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio — who have backed legalization efforts but not full citizenship… “Whoever the Republican nominee is, they will have to go through the primary,” said one Clinton aide. “And at best, they will have to support second class status for immigrants in order to get through that primary, which is a position that will be untenable in a general election.” Yup, that’s the playbook. It’s also why any Republican effort to move left on immigration will earn them nothing politically unless they move as far left as the left itself. No one’s demanding “self-deportation” this time, so the new unacceptably harsh right-wing position that’ll be demagogued relentlessly next year by Democrats is … the Clinton 2008 prescription of legalization without citizenship. That’s Jim Crow for illegals, Hillary will say; without a route to becoming citizens, you’re consigning them perpetually to a labor class without full rights…”
http://hotair.com/archives/2015/05/05/hillary-to-call-for-full-and-equal-path-to-citizenship-for-illegals-today/
Hillary flips for amnesty
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/hillary-flips-for-amnesty/article/feed/2176058?custom_click=rss
Hillary Clinton backs path to citizenship in immigration overhaul
http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/2015/05/05/hillary-clinton-immigration-path-to-citizenship/
A Path to Citizenship, Clinton Says, ‘Is at Its Heart a Family Issue’
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/05/05/a-path-to-citizenship-clinton-says-is-at-its-heart-a-family-issue/?_r=0
HIGH BAR FOR HILLARY ON IMMIGRATION
“She is the presumed favorite of the Latino vote and today in Las Vegas Hillary Clinton is expected to double down on this gateway issue for Hispanic voters, ABC’s JIM AVILA and SERENA MARSHALL note. A Clinton official tells ABC News she plans to focus on a path to citizenship as part of comprehensive immigration reform. Latino leaders consulting her campaign tell ABC News Clinton is looking for a way to clearly contrast herself from Republican candidates for president by embracing the full path to citizenship rather than proposing a second class of Americans who can work in the United States but not enjoy the protection of citizenship. Clinton is also expected to promise to extend the dreamer program to undocumented parents of children born in the United States. Latino groups will be listening today for a timetable for implementation of these changes. President Obama has been faulted with moving too slowly during his first term when he had a Democratic majority and failed to pass immigration reform. Latino groups also say they will listen for consistency in Hillary Clinton’s campaign, concerned that what happens in Vegas today on immigration doesn’t just stay in Vegas but is promised in Iowa and other primary states…”
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/note-returning-place-called-hope/story?id=30810633
Hillary Clinton vows to expand Obama amnesty to more illegals
“Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton vowed Tuesday that if elected, she would try to expand President Obama’s deportation amnesty to more illegal immigrants, saying this administration has left out a number of aliens who deserve to be granted legal status. Speaking in Las Vegas at a Cinco de Mayo meeting focused on immigration, Mrs. Clinton also called for granting attorneys to illegal immigrants facing the complex immigration system, and said she would like to re-examine detention to ensure more illegal immigrants are released as they await deportation. Mrs. Clinton delivered on just about every question from immigrant rights activists, who had been pressing her to reject Mr. Obama’s detention policies and go beyond his amnesty…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/hillary-clinton-vows-expand-obama-amnesty/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Hillary Clinton: If Congress Refuses To Act on Immigration I’ll “Go Even Further”
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/05/05/hillary_clinton_if_congress_refuses_to_act_on_immigration_ill_go_even_further.html
Hillary Clinton Vows to Push Past Obama on Immigration
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hillary-clinton-reveals-plans-immigration-reform/story?id=30812123
Clinton speaks forcefully for path to citizenship for illegal immigrants
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/clinton-speaks-forcefully-for-path-to-citizenship-for-illegal-immigrants/2015/05/05/21b18f20-f330-11e4-b2f3-af5479e6bbdd_story.html?wprss=rss_national
Hillary Goes Aggressive On Immigration, Floats Idea Of Executive Amnesty
http://dailycaller.com/2015/05/05/hillary-goes-aggressive-on-immigration-floats-idea-of-executive-amnesty/
Clinton takes on Nevada as controversial book debuts
“As Clinton tries to frame her campaign around issues like immigration reform, her message has been muddled by a series of distractions, including “Clinton Cash” which officially hits bookshelves Tuesday. The book questions the Clinton family’s finances and the donations their foundation has received. Julianna Goldman reports on how the Clintons are trying to break through the noise…”
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/clinton-takes-on-nevada-as-controversial-book-debuts/
SPENDING/BUDGET/ECONOMY:
Our economic ‘slow-rolling crisis’
Obama policies have cost families thousands and the nation trillions
“Are the alarm bells finally clanging at the White House and in Congress? They should be. This week’s pitiful economic growth scorecard of 0.2 percent economic growth for the first quarter of this year means the Obama slow-growth machine grinds onward. It’s the slowest recovery in a half-century. The “Summer of Recovery” Joe Biden promised back in 2009 still hasn’t arrived — six years later. This is a national crisis, not any less significant than the burning of Baltimore last week. Actually, the two may be tied together. Economist Arthur Laffer shows that racial rioting in big cities is negatively associated with an economic growth rate. In the late 1960s and 1970s, cities become war zones, but the rioting almost entirely disappeared in the high-flying 1980s and 1990s, when incomes were rising and job growth surged. Under President Obama’s slow-growth economy, urban unrest is bubbling over. The attached figure compares the growth rate for this recovery versus those over the past 50 years. We are $1.6 trillion lower on current gross domestic product than we should be. Even more amazing: With a Reagan-style recovery, we’d have $2.5 trillion more output and income today. On average, every family in America would have $20,000 more annual income. That’s the crisis that has Americans feeling so angry. It is, to borrow a phrase from Mr. Obama about the Baltimore riots, “a slow-rolling crisis.” He could have meant the economy. One finding in this latest GDP report is especially worrisome. Business “nonresidential fixed investment” — which is spending by companies on plant, equipment, facilities and technology fell by 3.4 percent. Spending on structures fell by an astounding 23 percent. This business spending statistic is a fairly good leading indicator of where the economy is headed. Business investment in this recovery has been slow, and that may be a result of the business bashing that goes on in Washington month after month. The Obama tax increases on capital gains and dividends — which are direct taxes on the returns from business investment — haven’t helped, either. When we get bad news like this, there’s always some excuse from the White House. The weather. The labor strike at the ports this winter. Ebola. The euro-crisis. George W. Bush. Maybe next they can blame Herbert Hoover. Some economists on the left such as Paul Krugman of The New York Times are blaming fiscal and monetary “austerity” in America and Europe. Austerity? The U.S. government has borrowed $7 trillion in six years. The Federal Reserve’s balance sheet has expanded by $3.5 trillion. This is austerity?…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/m